Liquid distribution system



Feb. 10, 1959 R. H. MERRICK LIQUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 5l, 1954 ilillll1 o o o o o o o o o o o o Filed March 31,1954 Feb. 10, 1959 R- H, MERRICK l 2,873,140

LIQUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENToR. KM 54 MM BY Mw 5%LIQUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Richard H. Merrick, East Syracuse, N. Y.,assigner to 'Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation ofyDelaware Application March 31, 1954, Serial No. 419,961) 1 claim. (cl.299-25) absorber of a conventional absorption refrigeration sys-A temwhere water is used as a refrigerant and av solutionl such as lithiumbromide is employed as an absorbent. In the absorber, the absorbent isintroduced in a relatively concentrated solution into the absorber andtherein becomes more dilute by absorbing Water vapor. The vapor,

previously fonned` in the evaporator of the refrigerationsystem isabsorbed by the liquid solution which isI cooled bythe cooling coil. Theliquid absorbent, in order lto obtain efficient' dilution, `is cooled bybeing dispersed over the coil'containing the cooling medium therein. Y

The cooledk absorbent condenses the4 vapor and vvthe solution gravitatesto an outlet in the bottom of the absorber. lt is highly desirable tointroduce the absorbent over'th'e tubes of the coil by feedingquantities'of the absorbent into' engagement with a helicalwire woundv2,873,140 Patented Feb. 10, 1959 ice I-ing coils. 'It is accordingly anobject of this invention to about the tubeso that ythe absorbentspreads, in tilm form,

vover the areas ofthe tubes between the turns of wire.

In the past 'the liquid absorbent Ahas been collected in a receiver fromwhere it has drained by gravity through a vplurality of restrictionssuch as orifices or capillary pasn clogging. However, when the openingsare of the order required the system becomes sensitive to minorvariations in Va level disposition ofthe receiver due to the differences-in the head accompanying the variations. This situation prevents theequality of distribution desired.

ln order to provide an arrangement for the more eicient distribution ofthe absorbent over the cooling coil in the absorber this inventioncontemplates a system of liquid dispersion responsive to a continuousseries of intermittent applications of force upon a partially confinedbody of the liquid so that quantities of the liquid are caused to escapefrom the body periodically. The application of force is preferablyadministered by collected quantities of the liquid which periodicallydisplace the liquid forced from the partially confined body. Thisparticular ramlike type of force application causes the liquid to gushout through openings in the top surface of the confining member. Anyobstructions such as foreign matter that may have become lodged in theopenings are removed in the f stream of liquid. Such a system furtherovercomes to a great extent the problem created by minor variations inthe level of the receiver.

One manner of producing the desired action is through the use of aSiphon action to eiect the ram-like force or pulsation which suppliesthe force necessary to periodically emit quantities of the liquidabsorbent from the conlining member into the desired engagement with thecoolprovide an improved liquid distributing apparatus of the type used`to supply small quantities of liquid to the surface of a body so as toobtain a film like surface contact `with the body wherein the dispersionaction is intermittent.

.Another object ofthe invention is to provide an apparatus asdescribedthat causes the liquid to be dispersed onto 'the `tubes bysubjecting a quantity of the liquid to a vram-'like action' derivedthrough the application of a siphon action in the liquid circuit abovethe dispersion means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon Iaconsiderationof the ensuing specification `and drawings wherein certainforms of the invention are disclosed for the purposes of illustrationand are not to be interpreted ina limiting sense.

Figure 1 is a 'diagrammatic View of a portion of an absorber of anabsorptionv refrigeration system showing a liquid distributing deviceillustrating the invention;

Figure 2A is a plan view of the system shown in Figure 1 along lines 2-2of Figure 1; and

Figure 3`is fanfenlarged fragmentary view of a portion of one of thevertical cooling coils in the absorber showing another form of theliquiddistribution system.

Brieflyv one embodiment of the invention consists of a liquiddistrbutionsystem including a receiver for collecting liquid absorbent as it entersthe absorber in concentrated form, la dispersion. unit including atleast one distribution pipe and a header, and a connecting pipe,constructed so'as` to create a -siphon action, joining the receiver andthe dispersion unit.

`Referring to Figure l there is shown a portion of an `absorber it)including a cooling coil 11, an inlet line 12 for supplying liquidabsorbent in concentrated form to the absorber, a liquid distributionsystem generally designated 13 and Lanf'outletilia for permitting themixture of absorbent and` condensed vapor to flow into the weak solutionline of `the'rt'afrigeration system.

The term weak solution in this instance referring to a" solution rich inrefrigerant so that it is weak in absorbing properties and the termstrong solution as used in this description refers to a solutiondeficient in refrigerant sof that it is'strong in absorbingcharacteristics.

The 'liquid absorbent ows into a receiver 14 and accumulates therein. .Aconnecting line 15 lpermits the liquid `to How toa header 16, spacedbelow the receiver,

' from where it iiowsA into tubes 17 which communicate with opposedopenings in the header. The tubes 17 are provided in Itheir top surfacewith a plurality of spaced openings 18. The sides 19 of the tubes 17slope downwardly from the top beyond the substantially at bottom 20 ofthe tube for a purpose to be later described. The lowermost end of eachsloped side 19 of the tubes 17 is in contact with a helical coil of wire21 wound tightly about the uppermost tube 22 of a vertical bank oftubes, each of which has a similar coil of wire 21 assembled about theouter surface. The tubes 22 comprise the cooling coil 11 of theabsorber.

Referring once again 'to the connecting line 15 it will be noted thatthe line has a first leg portion 25, the end` of which is connected tothe receiver and a second leg portion 26 the end of which is connectedto the header 16. Connecting the two legs 25 and 26 is a bent portion27. When the liquid accumulates in the receiver 14 to a level where thebent portion of the tube is full of liquid, it will be obvious that asiphon action will occur, and continue until the level of liquid in thereceiver falls below the connection between leg Z5 and the receiver. Therate of discharge through the connecting line 15 is greater than therate at which liquid iiows into the receiver from line 12.

' openings 1S.

3 When the header 16 and pipes 17 are full of liquid, the

4force represented by the liquid being' introduced into the header bythe siphon action will cause liquid to be ejected from the pipes throughthe openings 18 in the form of a i gush which will descend on the outersurface of sides 19 and llow in a film-like manner down thcsides andonto the coils of wire on the tubes of the cooling-coil. The lm i ofliquid tends to ow onto the-surface of the tube between the turns ofwire. The liquidl then drains down to the next tube in the cooling,lusually in the'form of droplets-and the process is repeated. Thesloping sides 1,9 prevent-any of the liquid from adhering to the bottomsurface 20 of th'e tube and so provide an efiicient means for guidingthe liquid to the surface ofthe uppermost cooling coil.

The tubes 17 are providedwith a particular configuration designed toovercome Vor minimize the disadvantages ure 2 the cross section of thetube is substantially tri- Y angular in shape, with the angle defined bythe intersection of the sloping sides 19 disposed at the top of thetube. In the event the tubes are not exactly level, it will be obviousthat liquid within thel tubes will flow out of the openings 18 on thelower portion of the tube and a cer- 4 ejected therefrom in the form ofa gush and to spread about the surface of the tube where it gravitatesto the tubes ofthe cooling coil in the manner described.

In using either form of the invention it will be apparent that theadvantages derived from the use of large openings in the prior artconstruction are present without the disadvantages of the possibility4of uneven distribution. It is the particular impulse type of forceapplication that permits this situation. The time interval between theintermittent impulses may be varied by design, as well as the pattern ofdistribution to obtain the desired results.

j due to variations in leveling the tubes. As shown -in Fig-- j Althoughthe invention has been described by illustrating the ram-like action ofthe liquid responsive to a siphon other arrangements capable ofdelivering the desired type of force will suggest themselves tothoseskilled in the art. The particular siphon action disclosed permits anefticient application of the force and further, by lengthening the legconnected to the distribution header or tube, provides an accelerationto the mass of liquid en route to the header. v

. In some instances it may be desirable to cool the absorbent enteringthe absorber by passing it in heat exn change'relation with a coolingcoil 40. This will prevent the liquid from ilashing oti or vaporizingunder the varying conditions of pressure attending the siphon action,because the liquid will be cooled to a temperature below its boilingpoint for the pressures involved. As lstated above it is not myintention to limit the use of the liquid distribution system formingthis invention to use in an absorber of an absorption refrigerationsystem. Other uses within the spirit and scope of the invention will beobvious.

sure applied by the Siphon action to the liquid in the dispersion tubesprovides a systematic and complete distribution of the liquid absorbentonto the surfaces of tubes of the cooling coil.

Another form of the invention is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein thereis shown inlet line 28 adapted to supply receiver 29 with the liquidabsorbent, a dispersion tube 30 spaced below the receiver and above avertical bank of tubes 31 of the cooling coil of an absorber, and aconnecting line 32 having a short leg 33 extending within the receiverand spaced from the bottom thereof, a bent portion- 34 projectingthrough an opening in the wall of the receiver and a long leg 35, theend of which is connected to the dispersion tube 30. In this form thedispersion tube has a coil of wire assembled about the outer surfacethereof and further has openings 36 in the top surface thereof. Theoperation of this form is similar tothe operation of the formillustrated in Figures 1 and 2 wherein liquid is periodically introducedinto the dispersion tube in a manner to cause the liquid in the tube tobe I claim:

A distribution system for liquids comprising dispersion means includinga tube having at least one restricteddischarge opening in an upperportion thereof, a supply pipe operatively connected to said dispersionmeans in substantially the same plane therewith, a liquid receiver abovesaid dispersion means and having a pipe of inverted U form operativelyconnected at one end to a lower portion of said receiver and at theother end to said supply pipe, whereby when liquid is introduced to saidreceiver the same will flow, through said supply pipe and dispersionmeans by siphoning action.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS998,930 Tait July 25, 1911 1,078,995 Chase Nov. 14, 1913 1,993,129 BairdMar. 5, 1935 2,615,686 Davidson Oct. 28, 1935 2,298,029 Blomquist Oct.6, 1942

